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One of many Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers in Marion County, Tina Rogers recalls one of her cases vividly.
“In that particular case, the child was moved between foster homes 13 times in two years,” she says.

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One of many Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers in Marion County, Tina Rogers recalls one of her cases vividly.

“In that particular case, the child was moved between foster homes 13 times in two years,” she says. “The child had very little sense of security, but I was always there – every move she made – to give her at least a little bit of security, to hang in there with her.”

Stories like these are abundant in Marion County and across the nation, where CASA has a growing impact in the lives of children who have been neglected or abused and are in the foster care system, and lack a solid adult presence.

CASA of Marion County aims to reverse this trend by aligning adult volunteers with children. These volunteers have a variety of responsibilities that ultimately contribute to the child finding a safe and permanent home and spending less time in long-term foster care than children without a CASA volunteer.

For Rogers, who has always had a love for children – having had four of her own – becoming a CASA volunteer was something in the back of her mind since college. CASA was her sorority’s philanthropy program, and even years down the road, she knew she wanted to be involved.

“I always thought when I was raising my kids that once they were out of the house, CASA was an organization that I wanted to be a part of,” says Rogers, who is now pushing eight years as a volunteer.Rogers underwent the screening and training program, which entails a background and criminal history check, providing references, over 30 hours of training, court observation, and observing a citizen’s review board hearing. An intricate process, but one that is both necessary and effective for an industry dealing with children, says Rogers, a local to Marion County.

“The training is wonderful,” she says. “I found it fascinating, and learned so much. That’s one of the reasons I’ve stuck with it, because I’m always learning something new. Each case has its own problems and resources needed, and I’m there to help see those through.”

Rogers and other CASA volunteers are responsible for providing a pathway to a permanent home by offering stability and serving as the child’s advocate. This is accomplished by interviewing the child’s foster parents, attorneys, teachers, doctors, counselors, biological parent(s), extended family, and anybody else they may interact with to ensure needs are being met and resources being provided to provide a progressive path forward.

“The most rewarding thing is getting to know these children and helping them find a permanent place to live while being a consistent person in their life,” says Rogers. “Yes, it’s a bit stressful at times, and there are sleepless nights, but the good outweighs the bad. This is a very worthwhile organization, and you’ll definitely affect the lives of children for the better.”

Rogers has served almost 20 children during her time as a CASA volunteer, and says she still keeps in touch with nearly all those she has helped.
“It’s wonderful to see how their lives have turned out,” she says. “I just see them being, in the long run, contributing members of society. They’ll be better parents, and they’ll break the cycle of their kids being in foster care, and that makes it all worthwhile.”

The Marion County CASA chapter is currently seeking volunteers. For more information, visit www.casamarionor.org or call the CASA office at 503-967-6420.